Old albums were definitely a thing of the past. Nowadays, everything was digital. In some ways, it was a lot easier because it took a lot of money to print out thousands of photos when you could just take a new one with a press of a button.
Still, there was something special about old photographs and how they were cut and placed inside each album. It was a tedious project; decorating each page and making sure the photos fit in each slot, but it was a labor of love.
A labor of love done by her mom.
Aria traced over the first photograph. It was her mom in a hospital bed holding a wrinkly miniature version of her, while her dad stood nearby with a teddy bear and a teary eyed smile. It was a post-labor photo to commemorate her birth. Her mom might’ve looked like a mess with her hair frayed and eyes exhausted, but the joy on her face was unmistakable.
The photo was an image kept forever, a snapshot of time.
She flipped through a few more pages and found her baby self in a dinosaur onesie. She didn’t look happy in the photo; in fact, she looked like she was on the verge of crying. Although Aria couldn’t figure out why her parents would want to take this photo, she still loved the fact it was taken.
Her lips quirked into a bittersweet smile as she continued through the album. Each photo was as entertaining as the last.
As she neared the end of the book, she felt a new wave of loneliness. Even though Aria really wanted her mom back, she also just wished that she could’ve seen her graduate. It was the one thing her mom harped on about endlessly—school and education. It was also the one thing in Aria’s power that she could do.
Maybe the motivations were a little off, but she’d graduate college for her mom even if she had to sell her soul to complete chemistry this year. She’d figure it out.
Aria took a deep breath and her eyes felt a little wet. Even though graduation was still far away, she wondered what it would’ve been like if her mom was still around.
Aria could see her being as nosey as ever, wondering what kind of new friends she’s made and who that handsome boy was. She could also imagine what kind of dating advice she’d give, and what hairstyles she’d match her dress for prom.
Aria was almost confident that there would be a whole new album filled with the most recent of photos of her as well. There would be cheesy lines and sticker hearts next to each photo with the date written above. There would be one of her first day of high school, one with Mira and their movie nights, and the ever so obliged prom photos.
Aria chuckled at the idea.
On the last photo, she bit her lip.
Aria tried not to think too much about that night, but how could she not?
They had a small fight about something so stupid, and Aria didn’t even bother to greet her mom or say goodbye as she left for school that morning. The next thing she knew, she had been called to go home early. She couldn’t even process what was going on until she saw her mom’s battered body on the white sheets of the hospital bed. Her eyes were closed, the monitor was flatlined, and all the warmth she had was gone.
It was a freak accident too.
A merge on the highway that went wrong.
Nothing special.
No drunk drivers.
No high idiots.
No texting or calling.
Just a freak accident.
Her breathing became ragged, and Aria couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to keep feeling this way, but she didn’t know how to stop. She wanted to live without any regrets, without any second thoughts, but here she was, wishing she didn’t have that fight with her mom.
Wishing she said hello that morning.
Wishing she reminded her mom of how much she loved her.
Wishing that she told her to drive safely.
Wishing that she did something—anything other than what she did.
But she couldn’t change any of it.
The image of her mom’s cold dead face was burned into her memory forever. A memory that could’ve been prevented if she just stalled her mom for a few more minutes that morning.
God, I miss you, Mom. I miss everything.
Aria looked at the picture, and wondered where had all the time gone.
All three of them were at an amusement park with matching outfits and melted ice cream in her hands. It looked like so much fun. She couldn’t hold back now. If she was tearing up earlier, then she was full-out ugly crying now.
After a good thirty or so minutes, she could feel a small migraine forming. Aria gathered her bearings, cleaned up her face, and started working on the pie again. She had things to get done, and she would rather spend the holiday alone than not bring anything to the table—literally.
Once she placed the pie into the oven, she drank an entire glass of water with some painkillers to get rid of her oncoming headache. Finally, after taking a moment to look at the mess on the coffee table, she sighed. If she were honest, she didn’t feel like cleaning it. However, if her mom was here, she wouldn’t have had a choice.
Another hour or so passed, and the scent of apples and cinnamon wafted through the air. So much so, that she had to open up a few windows so the sweet smell wouldn’t become too overwhelming. As the cool breeze came through the window, she enjoyed the mixture of
